Can I Send You Some Cootchie?
Whether you’re new around these Cootchie-fied parts or not, you might have noticed some *minor* alterations to the blog. Besides mixing up the writing, I’ve made a couple of changes to the layout. Please hang with me for a bit of technicality. You’ll get to cast a vote at the end. (And, we all know how much I value your votes. Readers voted for the blog’s current name - The Accidental Cootchie Mama.)
Down the right-hand side of the blog, I’ve reordered the boxes. The Kiss My Inbox Subscribe feature is now the first thing you should see, Dear Reader, right at the top of the page. To subscribe, point your mouse at “Kiss My Inbox” and enter your e.mail address, then click the button that reads “Sign me up!” If you haven’t subscribed, you need to do it now.
Let me tell you why.
Unless you’ve been visiting the planet Pluto over the past week, you’ve probably noticed that Facebook is making lots of changes to its platform, all in the name of enhancing things like “user experience” and “interaction.” What this probably means for you is one of two things: 1. You now avoid Facebook because you get a headache just looking at it; or 2. You spend time there but miss lots of things you used to see with regularity. In recent days, I’ve subscribed to many new blogs directly, blogs I used to read casually through links on Facebook, because I don’t want to miss posts I might like to read. I have a few more e-mails to deal with every day, but I’m not missing anything. Plus, I’m supporting people I’ve grown to like because of what they have to say. Regardless of what Facebook does in the future to further mystify the process of “user experience” and “interaction,” I’m plugged in to the things I care about outside the Facebook platform.
If you enjoy reading this blog or any other one out there, subscribing to it ensures that you see every post. You don’t have to open each e-mail, but you can make your own reading decisions instead of having Facebook dictate whether or not you see things in the first place. Besides, you don’t want to miss chances to vote on important things, do you? And, speaking of voting……….
Me if I share your e-mail address with anyone. Ever.
In the upper-left hand corner of the blog, a new tab called “Featured Posts” offers some of my favorite entries of all time for new visitors who may want to get a feel for my writing. The scorching series I wrote a couple of weeks ago to explain why MTM and I don’t have kids is the only thing I’ve selected for the Featured Posts page. I think it’s some of the best writing I’ve ever done.
Once I start trying to choose additional posts, my brain freezes. It’s like being shown almost 600 pairs of shoes at one time and being asked to pick 10. IMPOSSIBLE for me.
Save me from myself, Dear Reader. What’s your favorite post I’ve ever written? Why did it stick with you? Even if you don’t remember the title, a few words about a meaningful post will get me cracking. And, in case you’re brand spanking new, here’s a short list of links to some other posts I like but don’t know if they are deserving of a feature. Maybe one of these will help even the newest reader cast a vote:
- Inception’s Dream of the Architect
- I’m Dreaming of a Chainsaw Christmas
- Mama Get Your Gun
- I Will Remember You. Will You Remember Me?
- My Father the Swinger
Please vote for your Featured Post by making a comment. To give you further incentive to vote, your name will be dropped in the pool for your very own Cootchie-fied post, similar to the ones I wrote last week for Anne Howe, Debbie Hennessy, Tori Nelson, Brett Myers and Angie Mizzell. (Make it hard for me, people. You five should vote, too, and force me to come up with ANOTHER story for you.)
Whether you click the Cootchie multiple times per day or grab it casually, I appreciate your reading this little blog.
Very hard to choose a particular post, but, the one about the Ninja Shadow packing heat with Mama-san would be a favorite. You may not have written it yet, but, it has star quality all over it.
“Mama Get Your Gun,” referenced in the list above, is what I am going to assume in absence of a post not written.
My favorite post is the the eponymous “The Accidental Cootchie Mama” post, of course since I got me to reading your blog on a regular basis.
http://andrawatkins.com/2010/08/27/the-accidental-cootchie-mama/
I still blush when I read that post. It was why I didn’t go ahead and put it up there.
But, I will, because you voted for it.
Sorry, I was distracted by the picture of those puckered lips. Took me a few minutes to recover.
Favorite post? Well, in general, any post that Lou, MTM and I hijack and start a pun war. Now those are good!
But, if I had to pick a specific one I would have to agree with Vera. “The Accidental Cootchie Mama” is pure gold. And explains the blog. And explains an awful lot about you and your exhibitionist tendencies.
Some of the commentary between you three is worth the entire blog subscription. That’s the truth.
Then we will have the Shadow Ninja, the Cyber Ninja and the Angel Ninja.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ext.atlantica-db.com/img/monster/shadow-ninja-260.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.atlantica-db.com/monster/bow/shadow-ninja-260&h=274&w=324&sz=12&tbnid=ECIz4DWtgO2XgM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=106&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dshadow%2Bninja%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=shadow+ninja&docid=En5LLhZO-BK2DM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=tSyLTo3wCMe3hAfpsMD-Aw&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQ9QEwBA
http://www.badmovies.org/movies/cyberninja/cyberninja4.jpg
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQFXBOtRrF9nX304t62i3fFkr9BtKUQhvBQqP1xXZnP6Yjmq7IT
My phone just exploded.
Mama Get Your Gun. Hands down.
I’m sure my mother likes you even more now, Angie.
I’ve decided to use Google Reader more and am actually trying to figure out how to unsubscribe to a few blog e-mails in favor of “getting them” via the reader. I’ve tried to “unsubscribe” to a few blogs being delivered via e-mail and am not sure how I notify Kate Shrewsbury (Kate if you read this, can you unsubscribe me from e-mail so I can read in my reader?
WordPress says I’m not “following” any blogs…sigh…but I am!
I’ve added PR (Post Rank) extension for Chrome to my reader so I now know which posts have had the most traffic as counted by Google. Of your recent posts The one about Uterus Begins with U and ends with US has the highest rank at 8.1. Many others in your recent series have 6+.
Many of the ones with Boob or other alluring titles have pretty good rankings. And you might to know that your blog ranks 111,334 in the US, which is pretty danged good (there are millions and millions of websites). Globally, your rank is 542,715.
I may not be good with math, but I usually can get the statistics I need when I need them.
Living in the Land of No got an 8.5
Waiting to Come Home about being in the train station and ending trips got a 10!
Here is that post, Cheryl.
http://andrawatkins.com/2011/07/19/waiting-to-come-home/
You know, there is a word for people who over analyze things…
And here’s Land of No:
http://andrawatkins.com/2011/07/27/living-in-the-land-of-no/
But, I like the corollary post I Did the Funky Chicken much better:
http://andrawatkins.com/2011/08/17/i-did-the-funky-chicken/
Wow. Thanks for those stats. (Do not listen to Carnell.) I don’t know how to check any of these things, which leads to my next comment.
I am happy to have readers, however they find me. I am specifically seeking subscribers with this post, because the latest Facebook changes have taught me a valuable lesson about community building – I cannot rely on Facebook as the chief means of building a community for anything. I am going to use subscriptions to the blog to run any specials and give-aways I do in the future. I will promote them on my FB author page, but a sub to the blog will be required for eligibility. (I’m sure an ultimate agent and/or publisher could override this stance, but that’s my feeling on the subject today. Facebook doesn’t announce these sweeping changes. If I had been releasing my book last week, my whole marketing campaign would’ve been screwed, with no room to pivot at the last minute. I can communicate directly with subscribers. I cannot ever be certain again that I can communicate directly with anyone on Facebook.)
You may know the answer to this one. The reason I didn’t promote Google Reader as an option is because I don’t know who people are when they subscribe there. My stats show the number of feeds, but I don’t know whether a person is an actual subscriber through that platform.
Well I’m signed up both ways. I see your posts in my email and Google Reader – the first one I stumble across each day gets clicked on and the other deleted.
I hope my extreme level of Facebook frustration did not compute in my comment to your lovely wife. With their driving everything to a Page Wall and removing any other means of communication with Likers, paying for optimized Page exposure and impressions is what is coming. That’s fine for those who can afford to pay, but everyone can’t.
Geek is the word Carnell! And yes, I am one. Andra, I share your frustration with Facebook. I watched a video seminar this morning about how to use all the current changes to best advantage. http://learn.hootsuite.com/webinar/facebook-features-for-business.
Essentially there are fewer barriers to interacting with content (due to the ability to subscribe to those with whom you aren’t friends) and interact with Page content (like, share, comment) without becoming a “Fan” of the page. In reality it allows more opportunity for interaction, but puts a higher burden on all of us to create even more interesting, engaging content just for FB. And it means that we all (if we seek privacy) to make sure and set each and every privacy setting for each and every interaction and content addition, like, share or comment we make everyplace on FB.
Ultimately, yes, they are going to roll out sponsored stories in a new way to allow *brands* or *pages* to sponsor a really popular “story” (a story is any interaction with any content) to get more eyeballs on it.
Yes, Facebook is a business. I’m not crazy about this b/c it means the average user, average business owner will have to learn new skills, plan very carefully, and use more (precious) time to be present in the number one stream…or we can make a decision to do as you have done
and find alternatives.
I for one will continue my blogging efforts on my business’s website to gain traction there and will use FB as time permits.
Don’t get me wrong. I have to continue to invest in my author page on FB. I no longer believe that a FB campaign should be central to an effective marketing effort. Other tools have to play a part. I say that because, in the span of two days, my blog went from getting 1,200ish impressions on FB to 20 each day. No warning about the change to help me prepare. That it happened when I was bleeding my heart and soul onto my blog was even more maddening. Some of the best writing I’ve ever done, and nobody saw it. Once it is out there, it’s hard to say, Hey, look at this thing I wrote 2 weeks ago!! Let me clutter up your feed with even more links!!
Sigh.
This is a really difficult task. I love ALL of your writings! I hold dear to my heart the ones in which you talk about friendships. But the two blogs that stand out to me (at least this morning after reading your challenge) is A Shotgun Wedding and I Will Remember You, Will You Remember Me? A Shotgun Wedding did more than speak to me – it picked me up and transported me to a time I’d long since forgotten, and then I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the next piece of the story. When I read I Will Remember You, I immediately felt connected because I have felt that so many times.
And for Lou, Carnell and MTM, I actually like reading their writings when they hijack your blogs too.
Obviously, I love both of those posts, too. I sobbed while writing A Shotgun Wedding, and I think those tears stain the screen. I’m glad it spoke to so many people. (A Shotgun Wedding is already up as a Featured Post.)
You and I have talked many times about our similar feelings on so many things. Of all the people currently in my life, I’ve known you longer than anyone. Thirty-eight years is a long time.
I’m so thankful to have reconnected with you, and I do have an earlier version of Facebook to thank for it.
I love you, my dear. I’m sure that this mushiness will induce vomiting from some, but I do truly love you.
Not from me, and that’s all that matters. I love you, too, Dear Friend.
So many to choose from….
I will Remember You, Will you Remember Me? There is also another one that you wrote that touched a little too close to home and made me cry – don’t get me wrong, I loved it, but I was so uncomfortable reading it that I began to squirm in my seat – so I’m going to go with the above mentioned post.
I like to ignore my inner demons….I’m thinking that if I ignore it…it’ll go away. 
Any bets?
Lori, if a post makes you cry, I cried with you. Think of it as sharing our inner demons and realizing that we’re not alone, and they aren’t so debilitating.
Thanks for your vote and for sending me that friend request. Even though I’ve never met you, I consider you my friend.
You wrote one about a little boy in your class who died (?) if I remember correctly. What was the name of that post? It stuck with me. I’d like to read it again before I cast my vote.
Jill, it was a post called Death Taxes. http://andrawatkins.com/2010/09/30/death-taxes/
I just read it again and am crying. Good tears. It is always a good thing to remember people we loved and lost. Thank you.
the uterus one is my favourite post
Eugene, if I had to select my favorite post of all time, I will admit publicly that Uterus: Starts With U, Ends With Us is mine, too. It continues to amaze me that Gen X could turn children and parenting into a competitive sport with peer pressures that rival Things That Happened in Ninth Grade.
It is already up on the Featured Posts page, but here’s a link again. Laughing and crying in the span of 5 minutes is a good day.
http://andrawatkins.com/2011/09/21/uterus-starts-with-u-ends-with-us/
Best title ever! I’m a pretty useless voter as I love everything on your site, but I would have to say I really really really loved the post about The Dead Bat Dude.
Ah ha! Potty humor should definitely impress agents and the publishing world. Excellent selection, Tori. Here’s a link to that one:
http://andrawatkins.com/2011/09/10/its-not-what-i-wanted-to-hear/
OK, I’ll admit it. My favorite posts are the ones about food. Cheerwine … KFC … cheese curds … cow. I’ve noted that those are the ones I comment on most. But I imagine the agents and publishing world do not share my glutonous bent. Their loss.
While they are not your most literary, I also really gravitate toward your personal life commentaries – keeping excitement in your marriage, man cards, Christmas present anticipation, your dad.
But … if I had to choose a couple posts to feature, I’d go with “She Walked on Water” and “Are You Jealous?” in addition to those you’ve named above.
Amber, have you ever read The Belly of Paris by Emile Zola? A food critic for the NY Times proclaimed it the best novel about food ever written, and now I am drooling all over myself to eat my way through its imagery. Maybe you would like to read it together and then engorge ourselves on a delectable French meal? Since going to Paris isn’t on my menu at the moment……
You wanted more food imagery in the big meal in my book, too. I ramped it up some on rewrite, but I probably needed to try to make the reader gnaw on paper.
I will go re-read these other posts and provide a couple of links.
Here’s She Walked on Water:
http://andrawatkins.com/2011/02/13/she-walked-on-water/
And Are You Jealous?:
http://andrawatkins.com/2011/02/28/are-you-jealous/
That sounds great! I cannot find it on the library website, so I am asking my Mom to get it at Barnes and Noble (yay employee discount). Would you like a copy?
I am always up for engorging myself on a French meal. Now I have something good to daydream about!
Let me see if it is available free on iBooks.
I’m too new here to vote but I’ve enjoyed doing some more (background) reading.
Re the subscribing thing: I used to get emails but I’ve disactivated those now because they tend to overwhelm me but there’s a neat little thing up at the top of the wordpress page which says “following” where you can see extracts of all new posts when you want (it’s the same place where you set how you want to be notified of new posts – instantly, weekly or never. If you click ‘never’ you don’t get emails). However, I get the impression it only works for wordpress blogs…
A very good point, Earlybird. The Follow feature on WordPress works just like an aggregator. I can choose to receive e-mail from each blog, or I can go to my Subscriptions page and scroll through what’s new without the extra inbox clutter. I haven’t found a similar feature on Blogger blogs I read. It does appear to be unique to WP.
I hope you found a few more things to enjoy. I loved your writing post today.
I’m voting for the scrim post, Andra, though every post is fabulous as far as I’m concerned. I can never resist new words.
Me either, Kate. I am slowly trying to work my way through older posts on some newly discovered blogs. If I could read and write all day, that would be heaven.
I am glad you like that one. These emotional gauntlets are worth running for the sake of the story.
It really is hard to choose a post that is my favorite. I mean you have written ones about my little girl and my shortbread. But I really love “Mother of a Snowball”. The image of your mom putting a snowball in the freezer to wack you with in the heat of summer is just beautiful on so many levels.
I have written a few about you, too. I love every one of those. And your shortbread.
And, here’s a link to your selection. I had forgotten that I compared the bottom of my feet to bacon.
http://andrawatkins.com/2011/01/10/a-mother-of-a-snowball/
Not an easy task…this blog has its own epic trajectory, from 101 Ways to Diss Cilantro, through to the Week of Behaving Baby-less. I have too many at the top of my list, some so painfully poignant it is hard to call them favorites, some so revealing they are as daunting as seeing pictures of yourself in your awkward teen years.
But being the contrarian, I’ll pick the post that I believe embodies the wickedness, innocence, honesty and pleasure that The Accidental Cootchie Mama serves up each and every day…..I Spit on You! http://andrawatkins.com/2010/09/26/i-spit-on-you/
That’s what I get, MTM. I love you.